Manufacture of artificial stone and marple



conrosmen we COAllNG O PLASHB tion of alkaline silicate UNITED STATES Cross Reference PATENT OFFICE.-

JOHN W. WATTS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONE AND MARBLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter! Patent No. 260,511, dated J'u1y 4, 1882. Application flied May2, 1882. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Joan W. Warns, of Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have in- ,vented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Marble; and I hereby declare the fully, clearly, lows My invention has reference in general to the Stone and same to be and exactly described, as folmanufactnre of artificial stone or marble adapted for use as'building or paving blocks, for tops for tables and other articles of furniture, and analogous uses; and itrelates in particular to compositions in which a suitable hyd ranlic cement' is set by means of anaqueous solution of certain reagents. In practice I take any of the standard hydraulic cements-such as Portland, Rosendale, or Keen-and mix it in anyidesiredproportion with line sand or gravel.-

If desired,of course'coloringauattcr may be added, and gypsum, if it is desired to lighten the color of the stone.. I then prepare a solu-. tion by adding to one hundred gallons of limewatcr about five pounds of a saturated soluand about five pounds of Russia isinglass or glue in solution. The cement is dampened with the solution while warm, and tamped and pressed in molds, as usual. When fully set and dry the stone is treated with a solution com pound of one pound of glue or isinglass dissolved in about ten gallons of water, to which about one-half pound of copperas and three pounds of alum have been added. This treatment has the effect to render the stone hard and impervious to water.

Prepared as described,

the stone is' very strong, hard, and durable,

resisting changes ance of the blocks.

The stone possesses a marked advantage over other artificial stones in that it contains in its mass no ingredients which are liable to efiiorcsce upon the surface and mar the appear- The solution, being applied hot or warm and containing gelatine in solution, dries to aconsiderable extent in cooling, while the alkaline silicate seems to react slowly with the lime, forming a double silicate of alkali and alkaline eartlr, which binds the particles strongly together. The presence of the gelatine retards this reaction, besides aiding in accelerating the drying of thestoue.

- I am aware that lime-water has been used in connection with various salts to form solu-' tions for setting cement, and that gelatine has entered into compositions for the same purpose, as-has also alkaline silicate; but I am not aware that they either with or without other substances; and 1 I therefore claim- 1. A ,concrete consisting of a suitable hydraulic-cement base set with asolutiou of limewater, alkaline silicate,and glue,substantially as described.

Examiner have been used together,

artificial stone, consisting in setting a suitable hydraulic-cement base with asolution of limewater, alkaline silicate, and glue, and applying to the surface of the finished stone asolution of glue, copperas, and alum, as set forth.

JOHN W. WATTS.

Witnesses: R. D. WILLIAMS, W. A. BnR'rRAM. 

